Articles Posted in personal injury

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quin-stevenson-14794-unsplash-copy-200x300Lead poisoning is the most common environmental illness in children in California today and can lead to lifelong injuries, including learning disabilities, speech impairment, and other developmental issues. There is no known level of lead that can exist in the body safely, so any amount of lead that seeps into your body can be considered lead poisoning. Luckily, lead poisoning is preventable in most instances, so educating yourself on what lead poisoning is and where lead particles can be found in your daily life can help prevent injury to yourself or your child. However, there are times when you may encounter lead in your home as a result of your landlord’s failure to notify you of the existence of lead in your building or another violation of California lead regulations. Call the attorneys at Willoughby Brod if you suspect there may be lead in your building or have suffered from lead poisoning.

Lead Poisoning in Your Daily Life

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nicolas-barbier-garreau-256433-copy-300x240After being involved in a car accident, you may feel frazzled and disoriented. However, it is important to remain calm, assess the situation, and make sure you take the appropriate steps to ensure that you are safe and have the proper documentation in place to obtain any recovery for your injuries that you deserve. Make sure you take these five steps after being involved in a car accident, and call an experienced car accident attorney immediately so he or she can help you start seeking compensation for your injuries.

Examine yourself and your passengers for injuries.

The first thing you should do is examine yourself and others in your vehicle for any injuries. If there are any injuries whatsoever, make sure to call an ambulance immediately. Allow the emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to examine you for injuries you may not be able to see, and if they advise you to go to the hospital, follow their recommendation even if you do not feel pain at the time. Oftentimes the impact from a car accident can cause underlying health issues to arise, and a doctor will be able to detect those underlying issues and provide a medical report with your diagnosis. By refusing to go to the hospital, you are showing a future court that you were not in fact injured by the car accident and thus are not entitled to recovery for your injuries.

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sam-poullain-435864-unsplash-copy-300x169The newest wave of ride sharing comes not in the form of cars or bicycles but rather in electric scooters. Dockless e-scooter companies like Bird, LimeBike, Jump, and others have found their homes in California and are expanding all across the country. With the advent of this entertaining and convenient form of transportation, however, comes a new wave of potentially dangerous activity and injury. Learn how to stay safe while riding these e-scooters by recognizing common causes of e-scooter injuries and by following the tips listed below.

Read the Instruction Manual

If you purchase an e-scooter for personal use, make sure you read the instruction manual before attempting to operate the scooter. Many e-scooter injuries occur because users do not know how to use the scooter properly.

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axel-dadure-641255-unsplash-copy-200x300On Wednesday, June 27, two people were seriously hurt when a car crashed into a pedal cab at Embarcadero and Sansome Street in San Francisco and fled the scene. A second pedal cab then crashed into the first pedal cab. The pedal cabs were carrying a family of four. Police are still investigating the case and searching for the car, which has been described as a light colored sedan.

If you were injured in a hit and run accident, do not wait to ask for legal help. The personal injury lawyers at Brod Law Firm have years of experience handling hit and run claims. By calling us, you will have an experienced attorney fighting for your rights. Contact Brod Law Firm online or call us at (800) 427-7020.

California Hit and Run Laws

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hogarth-de-la-plante-17754-copy-300x179On Monday, April 30, a California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicle was parked on the right shoulder of I-80 in Fairfield. It was struck from behind by a white Mitsubishi Mirage prior to 3:40 p.m. The Mitsubishi driver and two passengers, one seated in the back and the other in the front passenger seat, were all seriously injured and taken to a local hospital. The CHP officer suffered moderate injuries. The accident is currently under investigation. If the Mitsubishi driver is found to be at fault, then the injured parties may file a personal injury claim against the driver and their insurance policy.

If you were injured in a crash in California, do not hesitate to ask for legal help. The personal injury lawyers at Brod Law Firm have years of experience handling car accident claims. By calling us, you obtain an experienced and knowledgeable advocate who will fight hard for your right to compensation. Contact Brod Law Firm today online or by calling (800) 427-7020.

Common Causes of Rear-End Accidents

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petra-cigale-128139-unsplash-copy-300x200The U.S. is dealing with a large outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with romaine lettuce, and a few states, including California, have been hit particularly hard. The initial announcement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding an outbreak of E. coli took place on April 10. As of the initial announcement, 17 individuals in seven states had been affected. Their illnesses had developed between March 22 and 31. Of those individuals, six had been hospitalized. One individual had been diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a type of kidney failure and one of the more severe potential side effects of an E. coli infection. Since April 10, the outbreak has worsened.

Information as of April 25

The CDC reports that, as of April 25, 84 cases of E. coli infection have been linked to romaine lettuce produced in or around Yuma, Arizona. Individuals affected are spread across 19 states. There have been no deaths, though 42 people have been hospitalized and nine have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. California has had 13 residents affected by the foodborne illness. The only state hit harder is Pennsylvania with 18 infected individuals.

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matthew-hamilton-135738-copy-300x200On March 7, Gregory Lopez answered Brenan Brock’s request for a ride on the Uber app. As Lopez drove down I-5 in Orange County around 1 a.m., his 2016 Jeep Compass ran out of gas. Lopez attempted to coast to the right shoulder, but the vehicle came to a full stop in one of the highway lanes. Brock was put in the position of having to get out of the vehicle and help Lopez push the Jeep to the side of the road. Brock, now exposed on the highway, was struck by Jonathan Tavita. Brock suffered such devastating injuries that physicians were forced to amputate both of his legs. Brock filed a lawsuit against Uber, the Uber driver, Uber’s insurance carrier, Hertz, and Tavita in April alleging negligence and negligence infliction of emotional distress.

Uber Crashes

While ridesharing programs like Uber and Lyft are growing in popularity, so are the number of accidents the Uber and Lyft drivers are involved in. Ridesharing drivers are not professional drivers in the sense that they do not have any specific or additional training than what is required to obtain a normal driver’s license. They are just as likely to be careless or reckless behind the wheel as any other driver. It comes as no surprise, then, that many passengers have experienced accidents that caused them injuries like Brock’s.

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david-klein-407116-unsplash-copy-240x300In early March, a video was released showing a 5-year-old dangling from a chairlift at Bear Mountain Ski Resort. The young child slipped from the chairlift shortly after it started moving. The child’s ski instructor caught her by her hoodie. During the time she was dangling from the lift, the child was choked by her the hoodie and her helmet. Thankfully, the young girl was able to safely drop to a tarp. She suffered bruising to her neck.

From initial reports, it appears at least two things went wrong. The night before, rain in the area froze, causing ice on the equipment. The child’s parents believe the lifts were not properly cleaned in the morning before being put to use. Also, when the child, her sibling, and the instructor got on the chairlift, the safety bar was not brought down. Bear Mountain officials are investigating the accident to determine what went wrong and how to prevent similar occurrences.

Ski Resorts are Not Liable for All Injuries

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matthew-hamilton-135738-copy-300x200On March 23, a San Mateo resident, Wei Huang, 38, passed away after his Tesla Model X collided with a median on Highway 101. The initial collision caused a three-vehicle crash with a Mazda and Audi. The Tesla sustained a significant amount of damage and the exposed lithium ion battery caught fire. In order to combat the fire, local firefighters used the available water source. They also contacted the Palo Alto-based Tesla, and engineers disassembled a part of the car battery on the interstate. The engine was closely monitored afterward since the batteries can reignite for up to 24 hours after cooling.

Accident Leads to Investigation

Following the fatal crash, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board sent two investigators to review the accident. The NTSB is interested in why the crash occurred, why the battery caught fire, and the procedures used to contain the situation afterward. It is unclear, as of now, whether Tesla’s Autopilot feature was in control of the vehicle at the time or whether Huang was driving.

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marcus-zymmer-189542-unsplash-copy-300x200In February, two separate personal plane crashes led to three fatalities. The most recent crash occurred on February 21. Dr. John Serocki, 61, embarked on a solo flight in a single-engine Cirrus SR22T from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. His plane crashed shortly after takeoff, and he passed away at the scene. No one on the ground was injured. It was not immediately clear why the crash occurred, though it is possible that the engine failed.

Earlier that month, on February 6, a single-engine Cessna 182T crashed after taking off from Gillespie Field. The plane, carrying John and Cherril Longhurst, 70 and 71, respectively, crashed about one mile from the runway.

Both crashes are being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). If a plane crash investigation determines that the cause of the crash was something other than pilot error, then the surviving family members may have a legal claim against the responsible party.  

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